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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

ATMI Precast Lockouts Employees As Labor Union Negotiations Fizzle

Aurora-based ATMI Precast, a producer of concrete products, including precast wall panels for industrial and commercial buildings, has locked out about 150 production and maintenance employees after labor union negotiations fizzled.

Teamsters Local 673 says the workers agreed to a 20 percent wage reduction two years ago.

The company's CEO is Jim Armbruster.

Negotiations have been ongoing since early 2010, but on November 5, the union rejected the final offer, which included a 5 percent increase.

Locked out employees have been protesting outside the company's offices on Ridgeway, saying they want their wages increased back to the previous level before the reduction.

how grateful can u be when youev been working for a company that makes you work 15 hour days with only a 45 min break and youev been working for them 10years and they bring your pay down to not even $9.50. and see how grateful you are then. And they never agreed to anything they simply informed them and not even a week later they reduced their pay. im married to one of those workers.and im simply discusted by that company's treatment for those poor workers. and im not just saying that because im married to him i honestly wouldnt believe it either if i wasnt living it with him

Somehow the owners and management have survived the bankruptcy and closure of half of the precast plants in the immediate 4-state radius. Go back to work and be part of the survival plan instead of the rats that flee a sinking ship.

Ah, 6:30, YOUR tactic is obvious, too. When someone brings up a valid point, try to confuse the issue by blaming it all on someone who's not even involved in the situation. "Yeah, that's it, we'll bring Obama into it". Since we've been told what the union workers are getting paid and how they're being treated, and the company has released info on what the union was asking for, it seems very fair to me for us to hear the other side as well. The fact you jumped so fast to confuse the situation indicates to me that you already know the other side, and that they have something to hide. I guess I got my answer, after all.

you know what they have to hide is that they sit in a heated room drinking coffe all day and only stick their head out to the unheated facility for a smoke break.while thse poor workers are freezing their ass off for minimum wage and even with over time their only bringing home a $400 check while these racist bastards are living the high life for sitting in an office drinking coffe all day. how fare does that sound. for the person who wants to work their go and ask for a job their right know and work their a week and then come back and give your opinion!!!!

Hi, 9:46. This is 10:24. Actually, I work in another industry altogether, am an exempt employee, salaried, and frequently work 50 hours or more a week w/ no additional pay. That's what I signed up for. That's the nature of the profession I went to college and graduate school for, and just how it is. But even I sometimes say no when something comes up w/ no advance notice, and I have family or other plans. And my employer actually accepts the reasonable proposition that in America we have some freedom and are no longer slaves to "the man".

They sound like a bunch of low skilled uneducated rabble that does not get that labor is a matter of supply an demand and the Aurora area is flooded with illegal aliens who will work for below minimum wage even. If you don't like it, tell your union to stop supporting illegal aliens and get some balls and stand up to the Democratic party.

And 10:33, your comment doesn't even make sense. You talk like the workers all want to keep working a crap job at crap wages and be treated like crap like their employer, and the union is forcing them to strike. You forget, the union represents the workers. They're on strike because the union is trying to get them fair treatment and wages. If the workers don't like what the union's doing, they can decertify the union (like the NFLPA did). The reason they don't is because then they'll have NO ONE speaking for them or defending them. The owner will have total power to run roughshod over the workers, and do whatever they want to them. That's called slavery.

2:27 You're wrong. While there may be occasional abuses of power by union leaders (and not-so occasional abuses of power by the corporate thugs who run the world), the unions are the voice of the working stiff, even those who, like me, have never been part of a union. Think about the auto factories in the south that are non-union, and they still treat the workers well w/ good compensation and benefits. They do that because they want to keep the UAW out. If you remove UAW from the equation, all those workers would see a huge drop in salary and benefits, and would be treated like the workers in other countries, i.e. like crap.

9:36 I was abused by my Union when I worked for Jewel. After working their 13 years I lied about my background some started working for Aldi's. I earn more, am treated better, have the respect of my Manger and District Manager and have far better working conditions overall. Better yet I no longer feel like I am supporting a bunch of slackers who whip out their Union handbook and drag down the profitability of our stores resulting in layoffs, tension, and misplaced anger.

My experience was my Union fought to keep the lowest common denominator and sacrificed the well being of the many (ie the financial health of the company we worked for) for the benefit of the few, and those few were to man lazy, inept, and takers.

Interesting. I've heard from a number of Aldi's employees who didn't feel so respected and taken care of. Including getting laid off just before they reached retirement age, and they ended up w/ nothing but social security.

Interesting. I've heard from a number of Aldi's employees who didn't feel so respected and taken care of. Including getting laid off just before they reached retirement age, and they ended up w/ nothing but social security.

Aldis a had a full pension plan and then converted (with a cash balance) to a 401k. So they do have a modern pension, and previously an old fashioned pension.

My guess is these people were not motivated enough to thrive in a productivity driven culture.

Aldi expects the store manager to target a level of sales per man hour expended. This means you can theoretically have no slack time. If there are no customers you are probbaly working HBA (health and beauty Aids) which is always located near the checkouts, as it is the most time consuming section to stock, and gives the cashiers something fairly productive to do when there is lull in customers.

There is always card board to pull and pallets to level and front the merchandising. People who are not motivated to see the work that needs to be done before them to keep their store on track and earn their bonus will not thrive no be happy. There is always something to do, and everyone is part of a team and jointly responsible for the workload.

I mention this so you get the expectation. But understand the job security for the motivated is incredible. I have never heard of decent Aldi employee who was cut - not a single one.